6 Ways to Queer Your Vegan Valentine’s Day

For LGBTQ vegans and their biggest fans, February 14 is about to get a whole lot gayer. VegNews Senior Editor Jasmin Singer will settle for no less.

These days, I’m in the mood to #resist—and since part of that resistance means being even louder and prouder about my gayness than ever before, I’m ready to queer anything that crosses my path, including Valentine’s Day. Are you with me? Then here’s what I suggest:

1. Gay vegan musicSet the mood with music. As a child of the ’80s, I strongly believe that those tunes should take the form of queer vegan rocker Joan Jett—your perfect (and perfectly hot) V-Day serenader. While it’s true that “I Love Rock and Roll,” what I might love more is Jett’s commitment to the cause, which leaves me very much in the mood (for philanthropy, that is).

2. Gay vegan chocolateChocolate is obviously mandatory on Valentine’s Day, so I recommend queering it up by biting into a Furious Vulva made by artisanal vegan chocolate-maker Lagusta’s Luscious. And there’s really nothing more I need to say about that.

3. Gay vegan diningNo, but really, there’s nothing I love more on Valentine’s Day than eating out. That’s why I recommend that you find your favorite local queer-owned vegan eatery. Some possibilities for rainbow veggie destinations include Two Mammas Vegan Kitchen in Oakland, CA; Vtopia Restaurant and Cheese Shop in Portland, OR; and Viva Vegeria in San Antonio, TX. Support your local plant-based queer.

5. Gay vegan ethicsSpeaking of “the Mos,” they are main players in a video I produced called “Coming Out for Animals,” which captures the stories of how LGBTQ activists have made the connection to animal-rights. It’s a different-spoke, same-wheel kinda thing—you catch my drift. Animal-rights and LGBTQ rights are actually intimately enmeshed, which is a reminder to each of us to celebrate our love for V-Day by showing solidarity for other oppressed groups.